Research

Tom Rapoport untersucht, wie Proteine aus Zellen exportiert und in die Membran eingelagert werden. Von besonderem Interesse ist, wie Proteine Membranen durchqueren. Seine Gruppe entwickelte chemische Quervernetzungsmethoden, die zur Entdeckung einer Kanal-bildenden Komponente (Sec61-Komplex) führten. Der Protein-leitende Kanal konnte gereinigt und der Transportprozess im Reagenzglas nachvollzogen werden. Der molekulare Mechanismus des Transportes wurde mittels biochemischer Methoden aufgeklärt. Das letzte Ergebnis ist die Kristallstruktur des Kanals, die eine Vielzahl von Rückschlüssen zu seiner Funktion zulässt.

Career

• since 1997 Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Professor of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, USA
• 1995-1997 Professor of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School, USA
• 1992-1995 Group Leader at the Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Germany
• 1985-1992 Professor of Cell Biology, Group Leader at the Institute for Molecular Biology
• 1977 Habilitation, Humboldt-University, Germany
• 1972 Ph.D. , Humboldt-University, Germany

Projects

• 2010 Co-Organizer, Keystone Meeting on “Molecular Basis for Biological Membrane Organization and Dynamics” (meeting dates: January 10-15, 2010)  
• since 2009 HMS Council of Mentors
• since 2007 PQE Steering Committee
• since 2007 Standing Committee on Higher Degrees in Systems Biology
• 1997-1999 Vice Chair / Chair, Gordon Research Conference on Molecular Membrane Biology
• 1999-2002 NIH study section member

Honours and Memberships

• 2011 Schleiden-Medaille from the Leopoldina Academy
• 2011 Milstein Lecturer at MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB)
• 2010 Keith Porter Lecturer at the ASCB Meeting
• 2010 Van Deenen Medal
• 2010 Anatrace Membrane Protein Award
• since 2009 Scientific Advisory Board of the Bioinformatics Institute (BII)
• 2009-2014 Distinguished Research Chair Professor in the Center for Biotechnology and the Center for Medical Excellence at National Taiwan University
• 2009-2014 Scientific Advisory Board of the MPI for Biophysics in Frankfurt, Germany
• 2009 Clifford Barger Excellence in Mentoring Award
• 2008 Scientific Advisory Board of the Dahlem Konferenzen, Freie University, Germany
• 2008 International Advisory Board of the Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences (GGNB) , Germany
• 2007 Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• 2007 Sir Hans Krebs Medal recipient
• 2005 Max-Delbrueck Medal Recipient
• 2005 Member of the National Academy of Sciences, USA
• 2005 Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 2004 Member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
• 2004 Otto-Warburg Prize
• 2004 Rudolf-Virchow-prize
• 2004 Johannes-Müller-prize of the Society for Experimental Medicine